Hey there oily girls!  The warmer months are upon us and it can be an absolute pain to have oily skin during this time.  When all the other girls are trying to get the “dewy” look, we are trying not to look like an oil slick!  Controlling my skin’s oil production has always been a challenge.  However, along the way, I have found a few things that work for me and keep my oil at bay.  *DISCLAIMER*: Everyone’s skin is different and responds differently to products.  I am sharing what has worked for me and others I have observed.

Keep your skin moisturized! – As a makeup artist, I meet other oily girls all the time.  The most common thing I hear from them is that they don’t bother to regularly moisturize because their skin naturally produces so much oil.  Well, that should NOT be the thought process at all!  When your skin isn’t being properly moisturized, your body recognizes this and goes into overdrive to produce the moisture it isn’t receiving.  That means MORE OIL PRODUCTION, the absolute LAST thing us oily girls want!  So, with that said, it is important to moisturize daily.  It is also important to use a moisturizer WITH OIL in it sometimes (yes, I said WITH OIL).  I used to think purchasing oil-free products was best; however, I learned that putting oil into your skin will decrease the amount of oil produced!  If this is your first time hearing this, I’m sure I sound crazy…BUT SERIOUSLY!  TRY IT!  I, personally, moisture twice daily.  I use an oil-free, mattifying, or oil controlling moisturizer in the morning, whether I’m applying makeup afterward or not.  At night before bed, I use a heavier moisturizer with oils.  In my opinion, it is better to use the heavier moisturizer with oils at night because it will have a chance to fully sink into your skin without being disturbed by makeup or the activities of your day.  My favorite mattifying moisturizer is the Embryolisse Hydra-Mat. Please check out my post entitled “My Skin Care Tips” for further information regarding the other specific moisturizers I use.

Primer? – I am not a big fan of face primers.  In my opinion, they add an extra layer to the skin that can leave a “textured” effect on your face, resulting in a not-so-smooth makeup application.  I’ve also found that using face primers can make me even more oily, so I stay away from them.  I’m not completely knocking them.  Some people have found face primers that work well for their skin.  If you find one that works for you, by all means, use it!  If you want to try one, look for one that is mattifying and/or oil-controlling.  However, I love eye primers!  If you have oily eyelids, using a bit of eyeshadow primer on your eyelids will control that oil all day long!  My all-time favorite is the Urban Decay Primer Potion.

Blot excess oil prior to applying makeup. – Once you have cleansed and moisturized your face for the day, take a piece of tissue and blot the excess oil from the surface of your skin before you apply any makeup.  This will remove any excess oils your moisturizer left behind and prevent the oils from mixing with any complexion products you decide to apply.

Use mattifying complexion products. – When your skin is naturally oily and you love a matte look (like me), using mattifying complexion products is key.  These products are specially formulated with oily skin in mind and are made to help us stay as matte as possible throughout the day.  Now, if you’re like me, you will still need to blot the excess oil a couple of times a day, but these products will help reduce the number of touch ups necessary.  One mattifying product you will NEVER catch me without is MAC’s Blot Powder.  This powder is everything and more!  I use it over my setting powder in the warmer months for extra insurance and I also use it for touch ups during the day.  Other oily girl friendly complexion products I like include: NARS Soft Matte Complete concealer, NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tint, Makeup Forever Mat Velvet foundation, Maybelline Fit Me Matte and Poreless foundation, NYX Matte Bronzer, LA Girl Pro concealer, and BH Cosmetics Studio Pro Matte Finish Pressed Powder.

Avoid too much highlight. – My last tip is not to highlight the oily parts of your skin.  Highlighting is a huge trend right now and everyone wants that “glow” that shimmery highlighting powders, creams, or liquids provide.  Well lucky for us, we have a natural glow!  Highlighter is meant to be applied to the parts of your face that naturally reflect light.  For us oily girls, those parts of our face (forehead, nose, chin) are typically where we secrete the most oil.  Because of this, I keep highlighting to a minimum and apply it only to my cheekbones and brow bones.  Therefore, I still get the “glow” but without accentuating the oily parts of my face!

Work with what you’ve got! – At the end of the day, we have oily skin.  That is our skin type and we have to deal with it.  However, we can utilize the tips above and do our best to control the oil each day! Being diligent with your skin care routine is truly the best thing you can do for your skin, including controlling oil.

I hope this post has helped my fellow oily girls out there!  Please don’t hesitate to leave a comment or question if you would like to discuss this topic further!

Till next time gorgeous,

Sarah Robyn